- Online education at the collegiate level
is more popular than ever.
In fact, 70 percent of all students enrolled in college
are non-traditional adult learners.
And their median age is around 34
and women are heading the charge.
Not only do online educations give a great return on
investment, but the convenience of attending
class from practically anywhere fits
the needs and schedules of today's
busiest goal-oriented women.
And here with all the insight and personal experience
are Renée Hamilton-McNealy, a Columbia College graduate,
and Columbia College's senior director of Marketing,
Brad Wucher.
It is so great to have you here today.
- Thank you, it's a pleasure to be here.
- And Renée I'm so excited to talk to you,
you have such a great story.
You're a veteran, you're an artist, you're an entrepreneur,
tell us little bit about yourself.
- Thank you.
So I've been in the Army for 19 years,
and made the rank of a Master Sargent.
I also advocate for veterans and ran for Miss Veteran America
2016.
And as an artist, the human body is my canvas
so I body point live for events and different shoots,
things of that nature.
- Wow.
- Yes.
- You know, and I know you're a Columbia College online
graduate.
We're gonna hear about that.
But Brad, tell us a little bit about Columbia College.
- So Columbia College was founded in 1851
as the first institution of higher learning for women
west of the Mississippi, and since that time we've been
accredited for over a century, providing
education at 35 locations nationwide
and we really feel that that's part of our mission,
to change lives through education.
Which is why we currently serve over 20,000 students
both online and in-seat.
- And what do you think sets your online program apart
from everybody else?
- Three things.
Flexibility, cost, and speed.
So the idea is that if you wanna go as fast
as you possibly can, you can create a bachelor's degree
in less than three and a half years.
- Wow.
- And then the flexibility with the online education system
is such that you can take class when it works best for you.
So for a busy adult life that's got work
and family to deal with, you can find a way to fit that in.
And then lastly is cost, that's the biggest scary factor
for everybody to enroll and our cost is extremely
affordable.
- Well Renee, what inspired you to, you know,
want to get your online education at Columbia College?
- Well what took place when I was called to active duty
after September 11th, I pulled out of the traditional
college that I was attending and I met one of the
education service officers for Columbia College at
the military installation and she pretty much showed me
the program and how I could complete classes
online so that I didn't have to put it
on hold until my duty was done.
And I started with two classes and it just was awesome,
I loved the pace, everything about it,
and I continued on to complete my bachelor's online.
- That's fantastic.
And Brad, you guys really pride yourself
on supporting the students, right?
- Absolutely.
We understand how scary
it can be to consider going back to college,
especially after you've been out of school for a while
and the expense and all that, so we try to develop,
even in an online environment, a very good relationship
between our advisors and the student.
So that there's a support there at every turn
on which classes to take and what path to follow.
And then beyond that after you get out of school you have
to be able to put the degree to work.
And so we provide career counseling
and career service support for an entire lifetime
at no cost to our students.
- Well Renée, what would you say to those folks
out there that are watching today that say
"I can't do this, I can't do this."
What would your advice be?
- Just take a moment to just remind yourself
of what you truly want, and be gentle to yourself in the
process.
Set incremental goals and celebrate each step of the way
and maybe just start with the one class and go from there,
move at your own pace because you never know
what a journey will be like until you get started.
- And Brad you said a little bit, you spoke to this,
but it's affordable, right?
- For a non-profit private institution,
we're about half the cost of the national average
and that makes a big difference.
And then when you combine that with the availability of
financial aid, it makes it so easy for
people to find a way to get the degree they're
seeking.
- Wow, and where can folks find out more?
- They can go to ccis.edu and learn all about our online
education.
- It was just so great having you here today.
You inspired me, I'm sure you inspired others out there.
And to find out more you can also go to TheBalancingAct.com
for more information.
Great having you guys here today.
- Thank you.
- Thank you so much.